Sail without wind
by Mynte
Summary: I suppose it began a few weeks ago when Superman killed the president.' The episodes 'A Better World' from Teen Titans view point.


Disclaimer: Teen Titans and Justice League is copyrighted by DC Comic. The song is, as far as I know, free.

***

_Vem kan segla förutan vind?  
__Vem kan ro utan åror?  
Vem ej skiljas från vännen sin  
Utan att fälla tårar?_

_Jeg kan segla förutan vind.  
Jeg kan ro utan åror.  
Men ej skiljas från vännen min  
Utan att fälla tårar._

Text: Parting song from the Swedish Finland. Mel: Swedish folkmelodi.

****

I suppose it began a few weeks ago when Superman killed the president.

We were all in shock, I mean, it's Superman. The big blue. The fucking boy scout of superheroes. At least that's what Robin called him. So, we just sat there and stared at the screen not quit believing what they told us. Beast Boy freaked out eventually and Starfire refused to accept it. Raven kept quiet but I think even she doubted it deep down. Robin just sat there and stared at the screen but after a while he left. I haven't repaired the gym yet.

Me? At first I believed it to be a fraud, I mean it's possible. I've seen time travellers, alternative dimensions, mind control. With that kind of stuff a fake news report isn't that ridiculous. When I realized it was real I was angry. Angry at Superman for giving in. He's supposed to be the role model, the leading example for all heroes. I did realize a long time ago nobody's perfect and even Superman makes mistakes. However there's a difference between making a little mistake now and then and fucking killing.

Rule number one: We do not kill. Does anybody remember that one?

It separates us from them as Robin said back when the Titans was formed. Then I thought it was a bit over the top and Robin was just being overserious again. Today I can see where he came from. The villains from Gotham aren't known for being soft and apparently the things he saw on patrol weren't any nicer. I suppose at times a clear line was nice.

I've also wanted to kill a few of my opponents over the years. Slade for playing with Robin, Brother Blood for the thing with Titans East, and probably Trigon, if I didn't realize it would be impossible. Brief urges I pushed away. Why? Because of the rule. It would be the easy way to deal with them. It isn't in my place to decide who has to die. It's illegal. A lot of reasons I pushed it away, but it all comes down me not finding it right.

The days went by, and it was quiet for a while. Everyone was a bit on an edge, even our opponents. Robin was often so close to pick up the phone and scream at the sorry guy who picked it up. I don't know what it was between Robin and the Bat, but apparently it was deep enough for Robin not to call.

Then the first report came. Because of the intern system, we got it before the news stations. Superman performs lobotomy on The Joker. A few seconds with his heat vision and…

Robin was actually surprised. He said something along the lines of: "Of all the criminals I can think of, I thought the Joker was sure to be done with."

The next report was just as depressing. A demonstration against the Justice League was stopped rather...violant. I can't remember exactly what happened. Those days is kind of a blur to me now.

The next month or so the reports kept coming of the League performing lobotomy, and the public being hold down. Once in a while we heard of someone being killed, usually criminals, but also civilians. Now I see what he meant with separating them from us. I don't see Superman or the League in the same category as us anymore. They have given in and are criminals. We should attack them really. Bring them down. But they are the JL! The big ones. We might have saved the world from Trigon, but they practically save the earth on weekly basic. But even that knowledge didn't stop me from feeling we should do something.

It was Beast Boy who came up with the idea. Jinx was sitting in our kitchen asking for help. Since she was a former villain there was no telling if they would come for her too. Beast Boy pointed out we had a lot of villains. Right now the League was dealing with the top villains, but sooner or later they would go for ours. Or they would ask us to do it. So we helped them. It was surprisillyeasy. They were more than thankful for getting away and they probably realized they should just stay low for now.

We also competed running away, or at the very least get out of the spot light, ya' know. So far we had tried to stay out of the whole ting, at least officially. We avoied getting any orders from them or draw attention. That wouln't last in the long run.

Anybody with half a brain could see where all of this were leading. Even before they changed their names. The feeling we had to do something was getting stronger. Robin mentioned some files on how to take down the Leag- Lords, god I hate that name. But they were located in the Batcave. Star said we could go get some help from Tamaran or another planet we have helped in the past. Raven said she could fase thought the cave. Maybe Beast Boy could sneak in with all the bats.

By then I supposed we had grown a bit colder. We didn't freak out every time we heard someone had died or had been lobotized. Instead it made us more determinded to stop them. Because none of us had freaked in a long time it was shocking to hear Robin cry that night.

"They killed Selina. He loved her and he fucking let them go ahead kill her!"

It took a while to calm him down.

The Lords picked the same evening to show up.

I suppose we had always teased Robin about him being a bit emotionless. In truth he probably rivaled Starfire in being the most emotional. When he felt something, he felt it all the way through. Nothing's wrong with that, as long as you have some control over them. He didn't control them; it was the other way around. He was blinded by them. Want an example? Just look at the way he acted when Slade was involved.

Anyway, the Lords showed up. They demanded our files on the criminals of this city, so they could deal with them. Robin told us to go get them. We received the massage: destroy the files and flee. In retrospect we should have stayed with him. I mean, he was clearly not thinking straight. His feelings from ealier were still raw, and now the Lords itself stood there and made themselves the perfect punching bags. What were we thinking?! Him against the Lords? I suppose we were afraid. We hoped he would just buy us some time. Shout a bit, throw a punch and then do one of his disappearing acts. Boy, we were wrong.

We have a secret base only our team knows of just outside Jump in the canyon. Not even Terra knew of it. We hid there for a while.

Starfire have had a hard time flying since then, but her starbolts has become stronger. I wonder if it's still just righteous fury. Beats Boy won't sit still, and Raven has killed a dozen lamps and the bedroom door. She has been in constant meditation since then. I was restless at first.

At some point I realized it. It was over.

The next two nights I spent in frot of the computer. I did my best Robin-impression and hoped his flair for detective work would rub off. It did.

The comment from Robin about "Him" loving Seline mixed with what I know about Robins parents and I found Batman.

So here we are. Outside Wayne Mansion. On our way to the Batcave.

Without Robin.

***

_Who can sail without wind?  
Who can row without oars?  
Who can be parted from their friends  
without shedding a tear? _

_I can sail without wind.  
I can row without oars.  
But can not be parted from my friends  
without shedding a tear._

Text: Parting song from the Swedish Finland. Mel: Swedish folkmelodi.

***


End file.
